HTC has announced the launch of a $100 million virtual reality accelerator program targeting the startups operating in the field.
According to ZDNet, HTC has invested $100 million to launch Vive X, a global accelerator program for virtual reality (VR) startups. HTC announced that the program will start in May in Beijing, to come next to Taipei and San Francisco. Other regions are also among the Taiwanese giant's plans for the future.
The aim of the Vive X program is to help grow the global VR ecosystem by providing startups with mentorship, expertise, office space, financial investment, access to advanced VR technology and go-to-market support. Cher Wang, Chairwoman and CEO of HTC, said that the company will bring the most creative and brightest talents to join Vive X.
Wang added that virtual reality is changing the world, but it needs to rely on a healthy eco-system to do that effectively and to expand into the mass market. She explained that the Taiwanese company is looking forward to enable global talent through HTC Vive to create compelling and interesting content.
HTC Vive X in Beijing will provide cash investment in return for equity to each startup in the VR industry, in order to accelerate entrance and growth for those companies with proven success. The startups moving through the accelerator will ultimately become content enablers or content producers for the HTC Vive platform.
The Vive VR headset was launched on the market this month, after HTC unveiled the final version of the high-tech gadget at Mobile World Congress in February. The smartphone maker reported losses during the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2015, but the company remains optimistic that moving into connected devices and VR market would improve its position on the market.
According to Computerworld, analysts said that the new move to create the virtual reality accelerator program Vive X could be another boost to the development of enterprise applications for VR. Up to date, virtual reality is already being used in areas such as the training of combat troops, astronauts and surgeons.
